Art Gallery NSW

A visit to the NSW Art Gallery in Sydney’s Domain is a wonderful activity for kids of all ages. Indoors, spacious, great for prams and strollers and safe for toddlers it’s a great option for rainy or chilly days – entry to the gallery is free, as are the permanent and most temporary exhibitions.For paying exhibitions, children under five are admitted free and there are family discounts to ticketed major exhibitions.

Art Gallery NSW hosts an extensive range of free activities for children from tots to teenagers, including free performances every Sunday at 2.30pm and in the school holidays. You’ll find specially created children’s trails and a kids audio tour to help young visitors engage with the art in the exhibitions. They also offer workshops during the holidays for various ages and monthly tours for tots – both extremely popular so book in advance. Charges apply.

You can find details of all these at Gallery Kids, along with tips for introducing kids to art. To help plan your visit, including information about food, baby-change facilities and the like, see Frequently asked questions.

There’s a fantastic large child-friendly cafe with both indoor and outdoor spaces serving delicious healthy options, the Gallery shop has an excellent range of children’s books, games and art based toys. Parking is available in the Domain, under St Mary Cathedral or the underground domain car park.

ellaslist opinion: We love taking the kids to gallery spaces, the colour and artworks captivate the youngest of babies, and toddlers and older children will enjoy spotting things they know within the paintings. We particularly love Art Gallery NSW not only for its fantastic exhibits but for its spaciousness and location within the domain, just perfect for strollers. It’s one of our very favourite rainy day things to do and we love to drop in on the free kid's performances on a sunny Sunday afternoon followed by a stroll in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Things to do nearby: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cook and Philip Aquatic Centre, the Australian Museum and Hyde Park, and in Summer a visit to the outdoor heated Andrew Boy Charlton Pool is an excellent way to cool down.